In the data center industry, sales professionals are experiencing a shift where they must transform into consultants and subject matter experts due to the ease of access to technology information for clients.
Patricia Alvina, a seasoned energy management professional, is well-positioned to navigate this change. She already possesses the expertise clients seek.
Clients are now better informed about available technologies but may lack understanding of their specific problems.
Salespeople must identify and address these problems in a consultative manner rather than just selling products.
Joshua Feinberg highlights that traditional relationship-building tactics are no longer sufficient, as clients can now easily access information independently.
This video is excerpted from the podcast Ep. #42 Patricia Alvina, Sales Manager ASEAN at Siemens Singapore | Data Center Go-to-Market Podcast.
Action Items
- Understand the specific problems the clients are facing rather than just focusing on pitching the latest technologies.
- Adopt a more consultative selling approach to address the client's needs, rather than just relying on relationships, and wining and dining.
Outline
Shift in Data Center Sales Strategy
- Joshua Feinberg highlights the current challenges faced by sales professionals in the data center ecosystem and emphasizes the need for them to reinvent themselves as consultants and subject matter experts.
- Patricia Alvina acknowledges the shift in client perspective, noting that clients are now better educated due to the abundance of online information.
- Patricia explains that while clients understand the latest technologies, they often struggle to identify the specific problems they need to solve.
- She emphasizes the importance of consultative selling, which focuses on understanding and addressing the client's problems rather than just selling technology.
Evolving Sales Tactics
- Joshua Feinberg discusses how traditional sales tactics, such as wining and dining prospects, are becoming less effective in the current digital age.
- He points out that clients no longer need salespeople to read websites for them; they can easily access information themselves through various online resources.
- Joshua suggests that Patricia's expertise in energy management and ability to provide valuable insights put her a step ahead of the competition in this evolving landscape.
- The conversation underscores the need for sales professionals to adapt to new methods and provide clients with genuine value beyond presenting products.
Resources
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